Pierre de Craon
Pierre de Craon (c. 1345 – c. 1409), known as "le Grand", was a medieval French aristocrat notorious for his riotous temperament, culminating in his attempted murder of Olivier V de Clisson, Constable of France. Events following the assault led to the mental breakdown of King Charles VI of France and ushered in a long period of political instability in France.[1]
Early life
Craon inherited considerable wealth from his father, Guillaume I de Craon. He held the titles Lord of La Ferté-Bernard and Sablé.
Craon was entrusted with money to finance the expedition of
Attack on Clisson
In 1391, Craon was abruptly expelled from the royal court in Paris for unknown reasons. He blamed
In fact Clisson was only superficially injured. In the aftermath of the attack, several of Craon's servants in Paris were arrested and executed for assisting him. Craon's property was seized and his castle in
Exile and return
Craon was forced to move from place to place, at last seeking refuge with
The date of Craon's death is not known. His son Antoine de Craon was implicated in the murder of Louis I, Duke of Orléans and was killed at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
Notes
- ^ « Pierre de Craon le Grand », in Louis-Gabriel Michaud, Biographie universelle ancienne et moderne : histoire par ordre alphabétique de la vie publique et privée de tous les hommes avec la collaboration de plus de 300 savants et littérateurs français ou étrangers, 1843–1865.
- ^ a b Michael Jones, Ducal Brittany, 1364-1399: relations with England and France during the reign of Duke John IV, Oxford University Press, 1970, pp. 106, 123–24, 128, 130, 200.